ANTS. 19 



The food which Ants appear to relish 

 above all other, is an exudation from the bo- 

 dies of several species of aphis, insects which 

 abound on the plants in the vicinity of Ant- 

 hills. This species of honey is absorbed with 

 great avidity by the Ants, and apparently 

 without the least detriment to the insect that 

 yields it. This fact had already been no- 

 ticed by Boissier de Sauvages; but several 

 very interesting particulars, as to the mode 

 in which this excretion is procured, have been 

 brought to light by M. Huber. He informs 

 us, that the liquid is voluntarily given out 

 by the aphis, when solicited to do so by the 

 Ant, who, for that purpose, strikes it gently, 

 but repeatedly with its antennae, using the 

 same motions it does when caressing its 

 young. He is led to believe, from observa- 

 tion, that the aphis retains this liquor for a 

 longer time when the Ants are not at hand 

 to receive it. A single aphis is sufficient to 

 supply in this way many Ants with a plen- 

 tifril meal. Even those among them who 

 had acquired wings, and could therefore have 

 easily escaped from the Ants, if they had 

 been so disposed, yielded this honey as freely 



